


Misfortune

by BoydTheReaver



Series: The Black Prince of Nohr [4]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Protagonist Name, Alternate names, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur needs a hug, F/M, Family Fluff, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Spoilers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Nohr | Conquest Route, Original Avatar Character, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 08:01:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11847345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoydTheReaver/pseuds/BoydTheReaver
Summary: In the midst of grieving, Jude supplies a widow of justice with a letter.





	Misfortune

**Author's Note:**

> Holy crap, has it really been this long since I wrote a Fire Emblem fanfic? Hot damn...
> 
> Anyway, I just want to contribute my piece of Fire Emblem Fates goodness in the form of one of my OTPs, Arthur/Azura, an absolutely amazing and heartwarming support that deserves the best. And given that Azura dies at the end of Conquest, well... yeah. Hard to blame the guy if he gets sad enough.
> 
> So I figured I would like to write a fanfic about Arthur being given a letter by Jude (my OC lord) and basically being given the will to move on. It'd be nice to poor Arthur to get a little solace after all, lol
> 
> Lastly, here's what Jude looks like:
> 
> Portrait: http://i.imgur.com/Vv9BJa5.png  
> Appearance (Low Quality): http://i.imgur.com/eaiNoso.jpg
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy!

Arthur always knew he had bad luck, but this was just the _worst._

Then again, his whole life was one accursed moment after the next. From the mild such as never _once_ winning at the lottery, to the absurd and life-threatening such as thunder strikes, falling off cliffs and all other sorts of misfortune befalling him. But he never yielded. For the longest time, he considered his accursed luck as natural as any other quirks that the Nohrian Army possessed, and he never let it prevent him from doing the right thing. This was a man who has come to term with his accursed fortune, and was always ready in pushing forward regardless of where life would bring him.

…or so he liked to tell himself. When Azura died during the climax of the Hoshido-Nohrian War that ravaged the continent of Aghrel, it came far closer to destroying him than it had any right to. A man who has endured much misfortune yet still brandished that same, cocky, audacious smile was nearly broken by the death of his own wife, to which it only occurred due to circumstances outside of his control.

If Arthur didn’t know any better, he would chalk it up as another part of his horrendous luck.

Here he was, though, grieving and angsting over the death of Azura. _His_ Azura. Shigure, Percy and all his family and friends have proven to be overwhelmingly supportive of his recent loss, but as he looked at the family portrait he, Azura and their two children took – an island of blonde amidst a sea of baby blue – he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the circumstances surrounding him at the moment, and just like that, he finally began crying once more.

Then again, this wasn’t anything new as of late. Arthur – for the first time in ages – began _crying_ over the death of his wife, for good reason. Even if his family and friends helped bear the worst of the tragedy destroying him, he still felt like he was to blame… or worse, whether Azura’s demise was completely outside of his sphere of control. As he said before, if he hardly knew better, he would chalk it up to his bad luck… but it was something more than that. If _that_ was true, then he knew the gods hated him and wanted nothing more than to see him suffer.

And if that’s the case, well… he felt the same way right back.

“Um… Arthur?”

Arthur – amid his cascade of tears – looked up from the portrait to see the leader of the Nohrian Army, the same man who led the charge to save Aghrel: Jude, the Black Prince of Nohr, born a Hoshidan before choosing to side with his Nohrian foster family. He was still dressed in his signature black armor that earned him his epithet during the war, all while a red Pauldron and onyx crown helped decorate his handsome features. His scarlet hair was as sticky and all over the place as ever.

Arthur, rather uncharacteristically, grumbled darkly to himself. “…what do you want? How long have you been watching?”

“Um…” Jude blushed a bit. “A while.”

 _A while? Didn’t you know what privacy meant, Lord Jude?_ Arthur wanted to say this, but he was too nice to say it outright.

Arthur bit his lip and continued to fight his tears, something that Jude – as a friend – found heart-wrenching to watch. Seeing him suffer like this was horrible to the draconic prince, and instinctively, he knelt before his friend and sighed to himself.

“I…” Jude began. “I don’t know what else I could say honestly, other than I’m sorry for your loss. I know that if I lost Charlotte or Kana… well, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

The thought of his wife and child dying sent shudders through Jude’s body.

As Arthur continued sobbing, Jude simply shook his head. “But Azura doesn’t want you mourning, Arthur.”

“H-How…” Arthur coughed on his own tears. “How can you be so sure?”

“I know because I look at the kind of man that Azura was attracted to,” Jude said this as he reached for his satchel. “A man who, regardless of the hand of fate he’s been dealt with, would do anything to do what’s right no matter the cost. Someone who didn’t care if he looked stupid doing the right thing, but someone who cared _about_ doing the right thing. That was you Arthur, and that was precisely the reason why Azura fell in love with you.”

Arthur continued to remain silent.

“Regardless, I learned too late that you must do some things for the greater good,” Jude sighed, shaking his head a bit as memories of the choices he made resurfaced. “But Azura doesn’t want you to suffer too. She wants you to be strong like you always are.”

Jude then took out a folded piece of paper.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “…is that a letter?”

“Yes. Azura’s last words,” Jude sighed. “She wanted me to give it to you in case she died. As a way of saying goodbye in case she… well, you know. Here you are.”

As Jude put the piece of paper on the bed, he motioned over to the door and turned back. “If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you, Arthur. That’s what friends are for.”

Arthur glanced at the paper for a moment, before turning to Jude. He was already gone before he could say thanks.

Simply turning back to the piece of paper, Arthur unwrapped the folded piece of paper only to see the familiar, neat handwriting as part of Azura’s many songs. Arthur bit his lip as he read to himself,

_Dearest Arthur_

_If you are reading this, I have passed on: whether you witnessed my death or heard it from a report, I understand that seeing me go… must be extremely difficult. I understand completely. I saw some of the misfortunes you had to deal with on a regular basis, but I don’t think I can equate any of that to what you must be feeling with my departure. And I understand. But I need you to know something, Arthur: never stop being you._

_It was you who helped save me from those awful men as a child. It was you who always helped people and solved their problems even if you would get nothing in return. And it was you who, no matter what misfortunes befell you or our group, you always shone as a beacon of optimism for everyone to turn to. It seems hard to believe, but your ethics and passion have saved the Nohrian Army – and Jude – in more ways than one. You were on of the only people in the army who managed to keep the strenuous situation from destroying morale, and we have nobody to thank but yourself._

_So even if you’re sad with me no longer being here, I want to remind you this: don’t let this deter you from being the hero of justice you always were. Above all else, know that my spirit will always be at your side, and I’ll always be watching over you, no matter what. Keep on being you, Arthur; you’re a true hero, and there needs to be more people like you in the world._

_No matter what happens, I will always, always love you, my dear Arthur. I believe in you._

_Love,_

_Azura_

As Arthur began choking on his tears even more, he felt saddened knowing these were the last words he would ever hear from the love of his life. But they were true regardless. He’ll still push forward and be his best self, no matter what life throws at him. On instinct, he wiped his tears and looked out the window.

“I’ll… I’ll be strong for you, Azura.” Arthur smiled, with tears still in his eyes. “Always.”

**Author's Note:**

>  **Arthur and Azura**  
>  **Hapless Hero, Lady of the Lake**  
>  Arthur returned to his true calling, justice. Scholars believe his luck improved slightly after the war. There are few records of Azura beyond her marriage. She remains a historical mystery.


End file.
